Rising Stars: Ma Chao
by MidnightSons
Summary: Ma Chao's rise to fame I guess. Please R/R and tell me if i messed anything up.


The year is 192 AD and the tyrant Dong Zhou had just been brutally murdered by his adopted son Lu Bu under the scheme of Dong Zhou's former advisors. The ones that had taken away Dong Zhou had been as equally greedy and a force from the west had come to restore the fallen Han Dynasty and destroy the ones that poisoned the land...  
  
The marching of thousands of horses in unison struck a mighty feeling in the young Ma Chao. He had just recently turned seventeen, but had fought in many battles alongside his father Ma Teng. Chao looked upon his fellow soldiers as they marched to the city of Changsan to liberate the Han emperor. The men were strong and filled with courage under the joint leadership of Chao's father. He had been a great warrior and always took care of each of his soldier's as if they were family. If a man fell in battle Ma Teng would make sure to care for their family in somewhere and gave the fallen men a warrior's burial. The men would be ready to serve under Ma Teng's rule in a matter of moments and would be willing to fight to the death if it meant so. Ma Chao had a great respect for his father and could only hope that he could just have the chance to become half a man that his father is.  
  
As Ma Chao gazed at his proud father with awe his cousin Ma Dai had broke his concentration.  
  
"We're going to wipe these fat bastards off the map aren't we cousin?" asked Ma Dai.  
  
His cousin was only a few months younger than Chao, but he looked up to him greatly. When Ma Dai spoke to him he felt somewhat like how his father must feel when people talk to him. Chao looked at his cousins' face and gave him a quick wink.  
  
"Those imperial scumbags won't even know what hit them," said Ma Chao.  
  
Ma Teng had been riding in the front line of the army and rose his hand to signal the men to halt. The men obeyed the command instantly and stopped their talking to get their general's commands. Chao was five rows behind his father and when Teng saw his son he gave his boy a short smile. His older brothers Ma Tie and Ma Xiu had stood alongside their father. All of the Ma clan had a strange similar appearance to them. It wasn't obvious like the same size of their body or a facial feature. It was something inward that gave the Ma clan their image. All had stood tall and spoke with pride. In moments of triumph they rejoiced happily as much as the common foot soldier and in times of trouble they emitted courage for the ones without. Ma Chao looked at his family and was ready to prove his name to them in the battle against Dong Zhou's men.  
  
Ma Teng rode his horse in front of his men and looked upon all of them. He saw their fighting spirit and knew that today's battle would be a victory. He stopped his horse and began to speak to his troops.  
  
" Today we fight against an enemy of China. Dong Zhou had ruled these lands as a traitor and a disgrace to the people. He cared not for his duties as Imperial Preceptor and taxed the people to no end. No we shall wipe out his stench from Changsan and put the rightful Han Emperor back to power!"said Ma Teng. " I look upon you men and recognize a lot of you, but there are some that I have not. Youth seems to have gained the upper hand on us old soldier's hasn't it?" laughed Ma Teng.  
  
The men began to laugh at their general's joke. Ma Chao's father hadn't been joking though. The men were younger which meant that the sons have grown and were now required to fight in battle alongside their fathers. Ma Teng had held up his hand again to call for silence.  
  
"Your sons are now grown and now fight by you, their father. You risk many lives by doing so, but you do it for me. There is a high chance that both son and father could die which would leave your women back at home widows and without a male child to care for them. But still you do this for me? How could I ever repay such sacrifice?" asked Ma Teng.  
  
"As you all know my sons are here to fight alongside you. For most generals this would be too much of a risk for they are the only sons I have. If they die today than my clan shall be wiped out, but they are still here to fight as they always are. They are here fighting alongside you for now I have as much to lose as all of you!" yelled Ma Teng.  
  
The men cheered their commander again but this time it was loud enough to shake the Heavens. The men loved their leader for he risked as much as they did. He was their general but treated everyone like his equal. Ma Chao noticed that his father was now looking at him. Ma Teng looked at all of his sons and wanted them to get the message that he was trying to give them. Ma Teng wanted his boys to see how the soldier's served faithfully to their father, and wanted them to lead them the same way when he died. Ma Chao smiled and nodded at his father in acknowledgment  
  
"However, sadly I must say that is not why they are here. As a man I wanted my sons to stay home for I could not bear seeing them die. I am sad to say so but it is true that even your "great" general harbors such selfish thoughts. I want to leave them home with their mother so they don't have to see the horrors of warfare, but I cannot for they won't let me. They told me that they would fight alongside their father and nothing, not even Heaven's army would stop them. As I look into their eyes I believe them. Today, fathers and sons, shall fight together to annihilate the evil forces that have plagued are precious land!" said Ma Teng.  
  
With that the men gave out a loud cry and began banging their swords on their shields to commend their leaders speech. Ma Chao had held his spear high in the air and began cheering his father's name along with the thousands of soldiers behind him. A troop of 200 men came from the area around Changsan, and was speeding towards the army quickly. Ma Chao noticed the flags and it was his uncle Han Sui. Han Sui was Ma Teng's sworn brother and led the men as bravely as Ma Teng. However, any of the men would have sided with Ma Teng if their had ever been a split.  
  
Han Sui had gone ahead of the rest of the troop to see the current situation of the enemy and was now coming back to report it to his brother. Ma Chao decided to ride up to his father to see what was happening. Like always Ma Dai followed shortly after behind his older cousin. Ma Chao nodded to his older brothers and sat quietly as his uncle spoke.  
  
"It seems that Dong Zhou is already dead. His advisors had planned against him and got Lu Bu to kill him. They say they cut off his head and put it on a post for everyone to play with," said Han Sui.  
  
"Dong Zhou's adopted son Lu Bu killed him? How ironic," said Ma Teng.  
  
"I know. What's that? The tenth father he's killed now?" joked Ma Xiu. Xiu wasn't exaggerating as much as it sounded. Lu Bu was known to be a back stabber and had already killed his birth father and his first sworn father.  
  
"Heh! Yes well it seems that after Dong Zhou's murder he ran off to seek alliance with Yuan Shu. Looks like this will be easier than we thought," said Han Sui. "All that's left in command is Zhou's former commanders Li Jue and Gou Si."  
  
"I was looking forward to meeting blades with that cockroach Lu Bu. Too bad guess I'll have to settle with these two chumps," laughed Ma Tie.  
  
Ma Chao laughed at his brother's jokes. He had always been the quiet brother and was never as outspoken as his older brothers were. Sometimes they would take his shyness for weakness, but they found out that mistake when it came to the wrestling matches they had during training. Ma Chao too silently thought to himself about how he would have loved to had the chance to have the reputation of slaying the mighty warrior Lu Bu, but then broke out of the world of dreams and came back to reality. Han Sui finished his briefing and both generals went back to their position. The ordered their men to get into battle formation and prepare to charge the castle of Changsan.  
  
Ma Chao, Ma Dai, Ma Tie, and Ma Xiu clasped each others hands and separated. The time for battle was upon them. 


End file.
